Decoration of cakes, pastries or like foodstuffs as with an attractive and tasty frosting or icing-like trim is a necessary but time consuming task in the preparation of these foods for desserts or various festive and party occasions. The preparation thereof frequently results in a significant mess, with spillage and clutter as a consequence of the required mixing containers, food coloring and flavoring bottles, large and hard-to-clean baker's pastry bag or pump gun, etc..
This is especially true on a commercial level as well as on an active personal level when it is desired to prepare frostings of varying colors for differing festive occasions as well as to provide frostings or trim icings of varying flavorings to complement the cake or pastry with which the same is associated.
Heretofore it has been necessary for the baker or the active personal chef to maintain a supply of individual bottles of food coloring, for example, when it is desired to impart a particular hue or shade to cake frosting other than a conventional and basic white color.
The storage and handling of individual and frequently quite small bottles of food coloring is inconvenient and permits rather little control of the extent of coloration desired. Usually, the same is effected on the basis of a certain number of drops, for example, from a dropper nozzle. The coloring material, as well as the container itself, can easily end up spilling or flowing to undesired areas or work tables or indeed garments with great difficultly and inconvenience in cleaning the same.
In like manner, cake frostings are of necessity required to be any of a number of desirable flavors or delicate tastes to complement the cake or pastry, as lemon, chocolate, mocha, strawberry, etc.. In like manner, the chef must have available a plethora of individual bottles of liquid flavoring material as vanilla extract, lemon extract, etc. as may be requisite to achieve a particular flavoring at a particular time.
The containers for the various coloring materials and flavoring additives in order to be at all economically saleable as discrete bottled or packaged commodities of necessity contain in volume substantially more of a color or flavor character-modifying material than is required for any single or indeed even several cakes for decorating or flavoring purposes. As a consequence therefrom, such colorings or flavorings lie dormant on a shelf in the kitchen or other baker's work area for extended periods of time occupying space with the ever present hazard of spillage, loss, or deterioration of contents with resultant throwaway and waste of the product.
There is therefore lacking at the present time for both personal and commercial use a convenient, sanitary, versatile system for effecting desired character modification of white icing-like or frosting mix material which may be readily predetermined by the user and in like manner readily utilized to effect a desired degree of modification or alteration of the frosting characteristic. Similarly, it would be advantageous if the user could be enabled to acquire only that quantity which may be useful in the home environment for small quantities, or in a larger baking environment, as at a commercial level, quantities relative to the scale practiced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention uniquely contemplates the availablility and interaction of selected individual components which together permit a quantity of frosting to be modified in character in a manner particularly selected by the preparer or baker, and similarly the extent of the alteration chosen may readily be controlled with reliable and predictable results.
The consequences thereof reduce the amount of materials required to have on hand with reduced spillage, wastage all as set forth above. Even more importantly, it provides to both the commercial and personal baker a tremendous versatility and variety of flavorings and colorings whereby those that are specifically wished may be selected and used without requiring purchase or wastage of the remainder.
Similarly, the cooperative elements of the invention herein facilitate creative expression and experimentation by the baker in producing new and unexpected color and flavor combinations all with equal facility as contrasted with such preparation of more conventional or standard colorings or flavorings.
To this end, my invention herein uniquely contemplates the provision and availability of premixed ready-to-use frosting or icing of essentially white color readily available in dispensing bags in a variety of convenient sizes as, illustratively, half-pound, one pound, etc..
For use with the convenient single-service packages of frosting, should it be desired to modify the character thereof as by either color or flavor, there are provided a plurality of individual containers in the form of elongated narrow flexible tubes containing quantities of various colorants, and in like manner similar squeezable tubes containing quantities of diverse favorants
Simply stated, in order to effect a desired modification of the characteristic of ordinary white frosting, all or a portion of the contents of one coloring or flavoring container are manually expressed therefrom into the mix within the plastic porch containing the frosting, after which the pouch may be kneaded to effect full blending and homogenization of the additive to the frosting mix, whereby the same is uniformly distributed therein. Alternatively, should for decorative reasons the user desire a variegated or frosting hue of varying intensity over an extended area, the kneading of the coloration material within the icing after introduction thereof from the individual squeeze container may be limited at any point short of full blending and uniform coloration. The same technique may be applied to flavorant admixture.
Further, in connection with the invention, the individual elongated squeezable containers of either flavoring or colorant are marked with indicia thereon indicating for the benefit of the user to what extent the contents thereof should be expressed therefrom to achieve a desired degree of either flavor or tint or both.
In this manner, the baker, whether commercial or personal, in acquiring a quantity of frosting mix in the dispensing pouch alluded to hereinabove, may also at such time require and obtain just those colors which may be desired for the particular frosting or icing task at hand. Similarly, just those desired individual substantially single-service squeezable containers of flavoring may be obtained for the baking task at hand and it is not therefore necessary to acquire a substantial quantity of materials which may go to waste to the economic detriment of all parties.
As a consequence thereof, it is no longer necessary to mix frosting in bowls or cups with guesswork as to character modification as to either tint or flavor and wherein further neither the frosting nor the flavoring or tint contacts the human hands or is otherwise exposed to contamination prior to application from the frosting pouch to the pastry.
Similarly, after use, there is complete and ready disposability without necessity to store partially used containers of flavoring or coloring as noted above as well as the bag of frosting material proper when purchased in a convenient size for the cake decorating or related task at hand. Thereby, cleanup is easier, and more expeditious, again both on a personal and a professional or commercial level.
Further, if desired by the user, a protective screw cap or other closure provided on the dispensing pouch enables the user to cap and store any leftover frosting material for later use.